


Fear

by Calzonafan2014



Category: The Fosters (TV 2013)
Genre: F/F, adamsfoster
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-21
Updated: 2016-05-16
Packaged: 2018-02-09 19:06:44
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,922
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1994418
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Calzonafan2014/pseuds/Calzonafan2014
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Callie has finally accepted Stef and Lena as her moms. How does she react when Stef’s life is endangered?</p><p>Warning: There’s an elementary school shooting in this story. Children are endangered. Unfortunately, in America today, these have become a common enough occurrence that showing a cop respond to one doesn’t strike me as crazy as it should.</p><p>Addendum: I started this piece at the beginning of season 1b, so Lena's not pregnant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Fear – Chapter 1

**Police Precinct**

It was the end of the month, and so Stef had arrived at the precinct a bit early in order to complete the stack of paperwork that had managed to accumulate. It was her least favorite part of her job, but until she managed to get assigned a junior partner, the bulk of it continued to fall on her shoulders. So she hunkered down and got to work.

The emergency alarm, when it sounded, startled everyone.

“Shots fired. Woodruff elementary. Perpetrator is reportedly wearing a bullet proof vest and armed with multiple weapons!”

Stef shot out of her chair and headed for the door along with her entire precinct. Outside, she caught sight of her Captain and bumped another officer out of the way to grab shotgun. Captain Ryder took one look at Stef in her passenger seat, nodded, cued the lights and they were off.

\---

**Anchor Beach**

“Call the alarm,” the principal shouted to Lena.

“What’s going on?” Lena asked.

“We’re on lock down. School shooting.”

“What? Where?”

“Woodruff.”

Lena nodded and cued the alarm telling all teachers to lock their doors and pull their blinds over any and all windows.

\------

**Woodruff Elementary**

Stef and Captain Ryder came to a screeching halt in front of Woodruff to a scene that was already engulfed in chaos. They started to get out of the car when another officer screamed for them to duck.

They jumped behind their vehicle just before two shots rang out.

“Suspect’s on the roof. He’s got us pinned down.”

“Victims?” Captain Ryder demanded.

“Reports are still coming in, multiple gunshot.”

Shit. Stef edged her way to the trunk of the squad car and managed to pull out two of the oversize, bulky bulletproof vests. She passed one to her Captain and shucked into the other while scanning the perimeter for a way in.

The SWAT team, in full riot gear, roared up and Stef breathed a sigh of relief. Until she caught sight of a boy, no more than seven, making a run for it.

A shot rang out and she didn’t even think.

“Foster, what are you!?” But her boss was too late.

Stef ran towards him as fast as she could. She watched in horror as a bullet caught him and spun him around. She tackled him and rolled them to relative safety behind the large, concrete fountain in front of the school.

“Officer Foster, Officer Foster status.”

Stef looked down into the face of the terrified young boy.

“Hey little man, I’m officer Stef. What’s your name?”

“Jesus.”

“Jesus? You’re kidding right?” Stef asked, as if she didn’t have a care in the world, all the while she hurriedly stripped off her vest and shirt.

He gave her a glassy, faraway look while Stef continued to do her best to administer emergency first aide, all while hugging as tightly as possible to the relative safety of the fountain and keeping Jesus conscious and calm.

“I’ve got a son named Jesus. He’s just a wee bit older than you. How old are you 10, 12?”

“Six.”

“Officer Foster, I repeat, what’s your status?”

Stef rolled her eyes and clicked her radio.

“This is Officer Adams Foster. I am here with a very brave young man named Jesus, who is six years old and in…” Stef covered her mike for a second, “Jesus, what’s the name of your teacher?”

“Ms. Williams. I think she’s dead.”

“Six years old and in Ms. Williams’ class. Ms. Williams was hurt, and Jesus has a gun shot wound to his upper thigh.”

Stef stripped off her belt and balled up her uniform top, using it as a makeshift bandage. Jesus’s eyes were unfocused and she knew he was slipping into shock.

“Hey buddy, so tell me, do you have any brothers or sisters?”

“A sister.”

“Oh? What’s her name?” Stef worked to keep him talking as she went about stopping the bleeding.

“Sarah.”

“And how old is Sarah?”

“She’s three.”

“Oh wow, so you’re her big brother. My Jesus - he’s got four brothers and sisters.”

“Four?”

“Sounds like a lot, huh?”

Jesus nodded and Stef smiled. Keeping her makeshift bandage in place, she cinched her belt as tightly as possible around Jesus’s upper thigh, and fought to ignore Jesus’s cry. She didn’t know how long they’d be there and she needed to quell any additional blood loss.

\--

**Anchor Beach**

Callie sat in Timothy’s class, bored out of her mind. They’d been on lock down for over an hour now with little sense that they’d be let out of the cage any time soon. A few parents had already arrived to pick up kids, but since Lena worked here and Stef was on the job, Callie knew there wasn’t a chance in hell of being sprung early.

Glancing around, she decided it was worth the risk and carefully slid her phone out of her pocket and pulled up her Instagram account. She clicked through a few of the comments on her most recent set of photos before clicking her in box.

Kiara, from Girl’s United, had sent her a message and Callie opened it up.

Hey – Rita had the news on that school shooting. I think I saw your mom. Hope she’s okay.

Callie felt her heart clench in her chest and started searching pictures for cops and school shootings. Instantly her screen filled with scenes from the elementary school. She scrolled through and almost threw up.

“Callie – you know the rule about cell phones. I know we’re on lock down, but rules are rules. Hand it over.” Tim held out his hand, but Callie protectively pulled back her phone.

“I need to see Lena.”

“No one’s allowed out right now.”

“Come on. Nothing’s happening here. You know she’s my mom.”

“Sorry. Now, hand it over.” But Callie was suddenly desperate. After seeing the photo, she needed to get to Lena. So before Timothy saw what she planned, she bolted for the door, unlocked it and ran down the school corridor towards Lena’s office.

Timothy sighed. He knew there was no danger for the moment and so he locked the door behind Callie and grabbed his own cell phone to text Lena that Callie was on her way.


	2. Lena finds out

**Anchor Beach**

Lena was in the midst of dealing with a hundred and one different issues, including a steady stream of terrified parents who’d come to pull their kids out of school for little reason other than to give them a great big hug. Lena knew her own brood was safe in their respective classrooms. She also knew she’d be tucking them in that evening with extra care.

Lena felt her phone buzz the same second she heard sudden pounding on her door. The parents collectively panicked as Lena checked her message.

“It’s my daughter.” Lena opened the locked door and Callie burst in.

“Callie, honey, what’s wrong?”

For a moment Callie didn’t know what to say. All she’d thought since seeing the photos was that she needed to get to Lena. And now?

“Callie, Jude’s in his classroom. He’s safe. We’re all…” Callie just shook her head and started to tear up.

“Who? Do you know someone at the school, one of your friends?”

“Mom. Mom’s there.”

Of course she was. Lena had refused to let that thought enter her brain in order to do her job. Now, Lena took a deep breath and beat down her own worry.

“Honey, that’s her job. And she’s really good at it. I’m sure half the San Diego police force is there right alongside her.”

Callie took out her phone and opened it to the photo that had sent her into full blown panic mode and handed it over to Lena.

It was one of those instantly iconic images likely to be splashed across the local newspaper and maybe even a national magazine or two. And it was her wife, reaching for a child at the exact moment he was getting shot.

Lena felt her knees go weak and it was all she could do to stay standing.

“Are there more?”

Callie shrugged, “I don’t know, that’s the first one I found.” Lena nodded and ignored the shouting parents with their myriad panicked demands and headed to her office with Callie and closed the door. Sitting down at her computer she called up the local news station and clicked on their live feed.

It looked like a war zone. Cops in full riot gear, crazed parents screaming for their children, ambulances at the ready, and a blockade with sandbags. The reporter stood across the street from the school.

“Reports coming in from a variety of sources in the school are that at least fifteen children and three adults have been shot. The shooter has taken position with a sniper rifle on the roof, blocking access into the school for emergency personnel, and leaving one officer and child pinned behind the school’s fountain.”

“Steve, we’ve got a replay of that scene from just moments ago. A frightened child attempting to run to safety, and an officer risking her life to protect him.”

The tape rolled and Lena and Callie watched Stef intercept the child, wrap him in her arms and roll both of them to shelter.

“Steve, do you have any status updates on the names and conditions of the officer and boy?”

“Melanie, no names are being released at the moment. What we do know is that small boy was shot at least once before that brave officer reached him.”

“And the officer? That was a lot of gunfire.”

“As far as we’re aware she wasn’t hit.” Lena’s phone chose that moment to ring with an incoming from Mike and she answered immediately.

“Mike, we need to stop meeting like this.”

“Lena, she’s okay.”

“How do you know? Have you spoken to her?”

“She’s still pinned down, but the SWAT team is preparing to take him out. It won’t be long.”

Lena ran a hand through her hair. “Please, just keep her safe.”

“We will Lena.” Lena nodded and hung up the phone.

“Is she okay?”

Lena nodded. “Yes. She’s okay.”

“She can’t die.” Callie blurted.

Lena started, but recovered quickly, “Honey, you can’t think like that. It’ll just make you crazy.”

“You don’t understand…” Callie began, but then the tears started and Lena pulled her into a tight hug and kissed her on top of her head.

“Oh babe, I do. Believe me, I do,” She said.

Gunshots sounded from the television and they both turned. The cameraman had switched to an aerial view, with a clear picture of the gunman in full protective riot gear on the roof of the school, hunkered down and shooting at the fountain.

“I think I’m going to be sick.” Callie said. Lena held out her trashcan to her, but never took her own eyes from the screen.

The camera switched angles and zoomed in, getting a close up of Stef lying on top of the boy, both of their bodies pinned as tightly to the cement fountain as possible.

Lena abruptly clicked off the station and grabbed her purse.

“Come on.”

“Where?”

“Where do you think?”


	3. Not impulsive

**Woodruff Elementary**

For the tenth time in five minutes, Stef checked on her charge’s leg. The bleeding had been stopped without the need for a full tourniquet. Jesus was still awake, but getting weaker by the minute. After nearly an hour of limbo, Stef couldn’t take it any longer and clicked her radio. “Guys, what’s your time frame?”  
  
“SWAT is moving into position. Hang tight,” Captain Roberts answered. 

Stef searched the innocent, pained face of the boy she held close and shook her head, “Negative. We need a Plan B.”  
  
“Foster, that wasn’t a suggestion.”  
  
Stef closed her eyes tight for a moment and rubbed her head. She took a deep breath and clicked her radio for a final play, “I’ve got a little boy here who is running out of time. Please Captain, Plan B.”

With that request made, Stef cut off her radio and returned to Jesus Jr., who had been silent through her entire conversation.   
  
“Hey, you aren’t going to sleep on me are you kiddo?”  
  
He opened his eyes and looked up into Stef’s, “I want my mommy.”  
  
Stef hugged him tight. “I know you do buddy. I know you do. Just hang in there for a couple more minutes okay?”

\---

Lena parked her car as close to Woodruff as she was able, and both she and Callie jumped out and started hoofing their way over. It wasn’t long until they were fighting against a sea of people, mostly parents, frantically trying to make their own way to the school.

Nearly stuck in a mass of frantic parents Lena shook her head at herself, “This was a bad idea.”

“No it wasn’t,” Callie said. She searched the crowd and spotted Mike guarding the perimeter. “Look, there’s Mike. He’ll let us through.”

Lena followed Callie’s gaze and sighed in relief. Pushing and shoving they managed to make their way to the front of the crowd and catch Mike’s attention.

“Lena. What are you doing here?”

“Can you let us in?” 

Mike reluctantly moved aside the police tape and let them through. 

“You know Stef’s not going to be too happy,” He said.

“Yeah, well, that’ll make two of us.”

\---

Stef’s legs were starting to cramp in their awkward position and she moved them around to keep up the blood flow. She couldn’t afford to let them fall asleep on her. It had been ten minutes since her last conversation with Captain Roberts and Jesus’s condition had continued to deteriorate.

“Jesus, honey, how are you doing?”

“S’ok. Cold.”

Crap. Stef checked his pulse and found it thready. Even with the outward bleeding stopped, shock was setting in and she knew that could prove fatal.   
  
Stef contemplated her next move. She had her vest on. It was no more than a hundred feet to safety and an ambulance. As long as the shooter didn’t get lucky and manage to shoot her in the head, she’d probably survive. Well, at least long enough for Lena to have at her. Stef shook out her legs as she prepared herself.

“Jesus, hey bub, we’re gonna get out of here, okay?” Jesus didn’t respond and Stef knew, for better or worse, that she was making the right decision.

She bent down to lift him up and felt her phone dig into her side. She paused, and before she could think about it, popped it off, gave the screen a quick swipe and typed a short message to her wife. Hitting send, she returned the phone to her belt and got to her knees, swiveling around so that her back was against the fountain and prepared for the run of her life.

\--

Lena and Callie stood quietly amongst the police officers coordinating the school’s evacuation. Along the far side of the school, many of the frantic parents were finally being reunited with their children, and the SWAT team was carefully making its way up the stairs to apprehend the suspect on the roof. A small bomb had been found blocking a stairwell door, delaying the process. But Mike had promised that it was just a matter of minutes until he was apprehended and Stef would be safe. 

When her phone vibrated, Lena almost jumped out of her skin. She thought she’d turned it off. She pulled it out of her pocket, saw Stef’s text and for a second, a split second, she was confused.

_Not being impulsive – love you._

And then it clicked, and she shouted, “Mike! Mike! Stef’s coming…”

He started to turn towards, but then a shout went out from the crowd and everyone turned towards the courtyard to see Stef, head down, Jesus in her arms, running full tilt for the safety of the police barricade, just a hundred feet away. A bullet hit the ground by her feet and she zagged to the right and then to the left. 

Lena tried to drag Callie into her own body to keep her from seeing, but Callie shook her off and just took her hand in a tight squeeze.

“Go! Go! Go!” The order rang out for the SWAT team to take the roof as more bullets pelted the ground near Stef.

The rooftop door was pounded open, a dozen shots sounded and Lena and Callie watched Stef, feet away from safety, absorb at least one, lurch forward and stumble to her knees.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I do have at least one more chapter to go, but here's the next little bit. Sorry for such a long delay.

Previously -- 

"The rooftop door was pounded open, a dozen shots sounded and Lena and Callie watched Stef, feet away from safety, absorb at least one, lurch forward and stumble to her knees."

From the ages of 8 to 28, Lena would have laughed at the very idea that one day she’d marry a cop. Not only was she a fan of the arts and the women who created and admired the same, she abhorred violence and hated guns. But then she’d seen Stefanie Maria Foster in uniform, and it was no longer a laughing matter. She loved Stef - in uniform and out. And while she’d spent a lot of years not thinking too hard about Stef’s job and the danger it often entailed, there was no ignoring the fact that part of the reason she loved Stef was because Stef made her feel safe. And protected. And loved.

A continuous scream punctured Lena’s momentary daze and brought the harsh reality into sharp focus. Chaos. Seemingly hundreds of cops, many dressed for apparent combat, swarmed around, fighting to cordon off the scene while desperate parents fought to reach their children, many of whom were now streaming out of the school.

The spot she’d last seen Stef was completely blocked by a sea of cops and EMS and Lena searched frantically for Mike and a means of getting to her wife.

“Jesus! Ese es mi hijo!” Lena turned and watched a woman being stopped by one of the numerous cops.

“Ma’am, this is an active crime scene. You can’t go any further.”

“Ese es mi hijo.” The police officer clearly looked confused and Lena interrupted.

“Jesus. Es que el niño salvado por el agenta?” (Is he the boy saved by the police officer?)

“Si, Si.” The woman nodded and Lena turned to the officer.

“Her son is the little boy that my wife, Officer Adams Foster, just saved. Can you please take us to them?”

“That’s your wife?” The officer asked.

Lena offered a wan smile and a shrug. “That’s her.”

“Come with me.”

Lena started to follow but suddenly realized Callie was no longer there. She turned back and for the first time realized that the scream she had initially heard had been Callie’s. And while she was now silent, she looked frozen in place.

“Honey. Callie.” Carefully, Lena touched Callie’s arm and she jerked out of her frozen state.

“He shot her. She’s dead. She’s dead isn’t she?”

Lena’s heart squeezed tight at the thought and she took a deep breath to ease the ache. Her first instinct was to offer a firm rebuttal, but she honestly didn’t know. And she couldn’t lie.

“This officer is going to take us to her, okay?” Callie turned and looked at him and nodded jerkily. The three of them followed him through the crowd towards Stef and the young Jesus.

They spotted Jesus first lying on a gurney while two paramedics worked in concert to string up an iv and put a pressure bandage over his thigh wound. His mother gasped and ran to his side, collapsing onto the ground next to him and kissing his head.

“Where’s…” Lena began, searching amongst the multitude of officers and families for just a glimpse of her wife.

“I need my phone.”

Lena jerked around. That was…

“Mom!” Callie spotted her first and took off as Lena followed.

“Officer Foster, you can have it in a minute. If you’re refusing a ride to the hospital…”

“I am.”

“She’s not,” Lena said as she broke through the last two people blocking her way and was finally able to drink in the sight of her wife, stripped to her t-shirt, sitting on the back of an ambulance with her legs dangling off the ground as the paramedic tried to take her blood pressure.

“Lena.” Shocked, Stef hopped down to go to her wife, but then gasped and grabbed her rib cage the second her feet hit the ground and wobbled.

“Stef…” Lena completed the short distance and grasped Stef’s arm, making sure she remained upright. Slowly Stef straightened and gave her wife a wry smile.

“I’m okay, love.” The two locked gazes and Lena’s eyes filled up even as she clutched Stef’s arm and nodded.

“Mom!” Stef looked up and had just a moment to brace before Callie launched herself into her arms. Stef winced in pain but returned the hug in full. Catching Lena’s eyes again she nodded and Lena smiled softly as she joined in, wrapping her arms around Callie’s back and touching her forehead to Stef’s.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Finally thought I'd wrap this one up before the season premiere. Thanks for your patience.

A trip to the hospital confirmed that Stef had two cracked ribs. She was given ibuprofen, told to be careful and released. The three of made their way home emotionally spent and the second they walked through the door Callie escaped to her room. 

“It’s almost six. The kids are going to be starving,” Stef said.

“I’ll order some pizzas,” Lena replied promptly and Stef nodded. 

“I’m gonna just grab a shower,” Stef said feeling awkward as she made her own escape. She knew Lena was upset. She’d been impulsive. But right now Stef didn’t know how to handle it. There were many things she’d willingly change for Lena, or at least try. But this wasn’t one of them. 

\------

Lena ordered the pizzas and checked on Callie, making sure she was as okay as possible and giving her a tight hug. Then she made her way into her bedroom, shut the door and immediately began stripping off her clothes as she headed to their shared bathroom.

She opened the door and the hot steam surrounded her.

“Lena…love, I know you’re angry,” Stef began. “But can we not…”

Lena shoved the curtain aside and joined her wife in the shower, barely flinching as the scalding water pounded her back.

“I’m not angry,” Lena said.

Stef was momentarily shocked, ‘Your hair…”

Lena didn’t give a damn about her hair right now.

“I don’t think I’ve ever been more terrified in my entire life,” Lena shared.

“Honey..I’m…” Stef shrugged, helpless as Lena put a finger on her lips to shush her.

“You saved that little boy’s life. And a part of me hates that it was you. You are MINE. Your body…Your heart…Your courage. I was terrified. And I have never been so proud to call you my wife.”

The relief Stef felt was intense. And combined with everything else she felt tears slip down her cheeks.

“I love you so much,” Stef said.

“Back atcha,” Lena said cheekily and Stef smiled, finally taking in her naked wife. 

Lena knew that look, “Stef, your ribs.”

“I’ll be careful,” Stef promised as she gently stroked her fingers from Lena’s shoulder and down her arm before tugging Lena into her.

Lena didn’t need any additional encouragement, stepping into her wife’s body and kissing her with everything she had. 

The conversation wasn’t over. It would probably never be over. But today, today was a day to celebrate life.


End file.
